1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pregnancy support pillow for use in connection with support pillows. The pregnancy support pillow has particular utility in connection with providing support to a pregnant woman lying on her side.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pregnancy support pillows are desirable for providing support to a pregnant woman lying on her side. Many pregnant women are required to sleep on their sides as their pregnancy advances to avoid disturbances in blood flow caused by pressure of the baby on large blood vessels. A variety of devices are known that address this problem.
The use of contoured body pillows is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,751,817 to Leach discloses a contoured body pillow. However, the Leach '817 patent does not have an air chamber, and has further drawbacks of lacking a valve.
United States Patent Application Publication Number 2006/0042012 to Littlehorn discloses a pregnancy support pillow that supports a pregnant woman. However, the Littlehorn 2006/0042012 patent application publication does not have a plurality of air chambers, and additionally does not have a plurality of valves.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,760,934 to Leach discloses a symmetrically contoured support pillow that supports an adult in a sleeping position. However, the Leach '934 patent does not have a plurality of air chambers, and cannot have a plurality of valves.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 6,499,164 to Leach discloses a body pillow with horseshoe-shaped top and J-shaped bottom that accommodates the upper and lower portion of a person. However, the Leach '164 patent does not have an air chamber, and also does not have a valve.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,854 to Brownrigg discloses a lateral body-supporting pillow that supports various portions of the body. However, the Brownrigg '854 patent does not have an air chamber, and further lacks a valve.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,052,848 to Kelly discloses a body support pillow that provides stable cushioned support to individuals. However, the Kelly '848 patent does not have an air chamber, and has the additional deficiency of lacking a valve.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 420,845 to Rumage discloses a neck support pillow that supports the neck. However, the Rumage '845 patent does not have an air chamber, and also does not have a valve.
Furthermore, United States Patent Application Publication Number 2006/0037142 to Binder discloses a support with buoyancy cushions that supports at least a part of the human body. However, the Binder 2006/0037142 patent application publication does not have an air chamber, and further lacks a valve.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,671,908 to Error! Reference source not found. discloses an inflatable support pillow and methods that provides a support pillow. However, the Error! Reference source not found. '908 patent does not have a pocket, and has the additional deficiency of not simultaneously supporting a person's head, back, thigh, and stomach.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,999 to Priolo et al. discloses an adjustable therapeutic pillow that supports the head and neck during sleep. However, the Priolo et al. '999 patent does not have a plurality of valves, and has the additional deficiency of not simultaneously supporting a person's head, back, thigh, and stomach.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a pregnancy support pillow that allows providing support to a pregnant woman lying on her side.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved pregnancy support pillow that can be used for providing support to a pregnant woman lying on her side. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the pregnancy support pillow according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing support to a pregnant woman lying on her side.